Sisters in Business Michigan and Black Wall Street Kalamazoo are working to increase the access African-American entrepreneurs and their businesses have the funding and training they need.
NACD in Kalamazoo plans to begin the construction this year of four single-family houses on what are now vacant parcels of land as part of the neighborhood’s plan to see an increase in the amount of affordable housing as well as an increase in home ownership and business ownership.
What does it take to get to a point where housing projects funded by Kalamazoo County millage dollars can be approved? Here's a quick peek at some of the process needed to get the work done.
“We’ve learned that we are held to timelines beyond our control -- pandemics, supply chains, logistics, site availability, funding,” says Michelle Davis, Executive Director of Housing Resources Inc. as they work to establish a community in Kalamazoo of temporary, longer-lasting housing “pods” for those without houses.
Efforts to provide more needed housing in Kalamazoo County continue as members of the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners recently approved a total of $2.6 million in funding to support planned residential projects. When completed the projects approved should add about 115 new housing units, and another 30 existing properties would be rehabilitated.
Residents of Kalamazoo’s Northside neighborhood are working to enhance the neighborhood, by shining light on problems that need attention and working to fix them -- literally. And they are working with Building Blocks Kalamazoo to make it happen.
Kalamazoo’s Milwood Neighborhood Association meets in person and the message is one of coming together as a community.
The Michigan Homeowners Assistance Fund program was created last year to prevent homeowners from losing their homes as a result of mortgage delinquencies the program and was established under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to mitigate hardships associated with the pandemic. Kalamazoo County Treasurer Thomas Whitener tells how it can work for county residents.
Matthew Schmidt bought a former factory in the Edison Neighborhood in October of 2020 and has been working to convert it into a studio for himself, as well as an art gallery and performance space for other artists. Other people's trash is slowing him down. Now the neighborhood wants to hold property owners like Schmidt's neighbor who allow illegal dumping accountable.
Venues are lined up and artists are confirmed for a jazz festival in Kalamazoo's Edison Neighborhood this fall. "We are literally putting it out in the streets and making it accessible to everyone for free," says Edison Executive Director Stephen Dupuie.
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